IN BRIEF

By Staff

Turell heads publicity at Turner

Jamie Kellner has invited another WB Network associate to join him at Turner Broadcasting System. Brad Turell, who has headed up The WB's publicity and marketing efforts since its launch six years ago, has been named executive vice president of communications for Turner Broadcasting System. Last month, Kellner, chairman and CEO of TBS, named former WB and NBC programming head Garth Ancier executive vice president of programming at Turner Networks. The heads of publicity at all the Turner Broadcasting networks and businesses will now report to Turell.

Keep your distance

New low-power FM stations already must be two channels away from the next closest station, but the FCC ruled last week that a specific minimum distance needs to be established. The revised LPFM order is in response to a bill passed by Congress last December.

"This action will enable us to move ahead and grant construction permits to eligible LPFM applicants who meet the standard for protecting third adjacencies, the same level of interference protection currently required for full-power stations," said FCC Chairman Michael Powell.

Eco-Challenge wins

Viewers did not find it a challenge to watch USA's first-time coverage of Eco-Challenge, produced by Survivor's Mark Burnett. Over its four-day arc starting Sunday, April 1, the leech-infested race averaged a 2.0 household rating (1.7 million households), beating the averages of all other basic cable programming up against Eco-Challenge's time slots, Sunday-Tuesday 8-9 p.m. and Wednesday 8-10 p.m.